The University of Miami is finally ending its 3 year nightmare as the NCAA case against them is officially over. Besides a number of minor infractions dealing with phone calls and text messages, Miami is guilty of allowing a rogue booster too much access to students- 30, in fact, that he paid $170,000 in benefits to over 10 years. Nothing salacious like abortions or prostitutes were proven- we are talking about club VIP access, bar tabs, dinner, and boat and house parties. Generally, normal college stuff that happens behind the scenes at every single football program.
Lost in the news of the sanctions imposed by the NCAA are the ones self-imposed by Miami over the last few years. I have, surprisingly, yet to see a truly exhaustive list so I’ll do my best here.
NCAA-Imposed
1) 9 football scholarships lost over the next 3 years, deducted from the 85 total cap.
2) 3 basketball scholarships, 1 each year over the next 3, deducted from the class size.
3) 3 years probationary status for the entire athletic department.
4) 2 years of a single unofficial visit per prospect.
5) Frank Haith (Missouri) has a 5 game suspension.
6) 2 year Show Cause for Aubrey Hill (Carol City), Clint Hurtt (Louisville), and Jorge Fernandez.
7) 12 football players to repay $4,000 in restitution for illegal benefits. 5 suspended for 1 game, 2 suspended for 4 games, 1 suspended for 6 games.
8) DeQuan Jones suspended 10 games. Durand Scott and Reggie Johnson also served suspensions.
Self-Imposed
1) 2 year bowl ban, including skipping the ACC championship game.
2) 1 year of a 20% reduction of official visits.
3) 1 year of a 14% reduction of fall evaluations.
4) 1 year of a 20% reduction of available contact days.
5) Miami is only playing with a current roster of 74, as opposed to the cap of 85, and may try to get some leniency from the NCAA to account for that (suffice it to say that some scholarship reductions have already been self-imposed).
This is quite a hefty list of penalties that will still linger for a few years. Dealing with the football scholarships will be easy given the current roster size and the fact that the school can still pull in full classes. The unofficial visit penalty gives Miami a hit but the university is free to throttle up its official visits again after self-imposing recruiting restrictions, so that might be a wash.
Certainly the brunt of the sanctions are already behind the program and it is FINALLY time to look forward, but let it not be said that Miami got off light.